Hickman baseball team faces top-ranked prospect

COLUMBIA — While driving past Hickman High School this afternoon, it will be hard to miss a dozen radar guns. Don’t worry, though, it’s not the world’s largest speed trap.

The reason for the radar guns is Tim Melville. The people pointing them will be Major League scouts evaluating Melville, who is scheduled to pitch at Hickman at 4:30 today for Wentzville-Holt.

Melville is listed as the nation’s No. 2 high school prospect by Baseball America. His fastball reaches 95 mph and his pitches include a knuckle-curve. In his last start, Melville threw 93 mph in the seventh inning after throwing 110 pitches.

“The first thing you will say when you see him is ‘Oh, my goodness,’” Wentzville-Holt coach Joel Adam said. “He looks like a major leaguer right now.”

Rise Magazine named the 6-foot-5 Melville the No. 1 high school baseball prospect this spring. While Melville has signed a letter of intent to play at North Carolina, many don’t expect him to throw a pitch for the Tar Heels once the MLB draft occurs in June.